WaterRabbit
Explorer
Should the same offset be offered to players that want to play a Gith Arcane Trickster (Mage Hand overlap)? A Firbolg Gloom Stalker (Disguise Self overlap)? How about a Lizardfolk Monk or Barbarian (unarmored AC overlap)? How about a Half-Orc Rogue or Wizard (these classes don't need +2 STR!) We could go on and on and on... amirite?
I guess the point is that there are choices to be made a chargen that might have some drawbacks. Some people might want to follow the online color-coded "best choices" guides and have fun with it. It's certainly a limitation to adhere to too much efficiency at the expense of what might be a fun character combo, IMO. The "middle ground" who likes efficiency strikes me as a crowd that won't get hung up on one overlap or minor inefficiency if they can otherwise play a very sound and fun PC. YMMV.
Exactly. Unless one wants to go through the effort of creating a Pathfinder like method of swapping out racials, it seems to me that players understand that no all race/class combinations are 100% efficient -- that's what makes it a role-playing game vs. a roll-playing game.
There is no reason for a dm to give players freebies because they chose something inefficient. Instead, build your encounters with that idea in mind. I think the players would appreciate that much more than being treated as children who cannot understand the consequences of their choices.
Building and playing sub-optimal race/class combinations is fun in its own right and DMs that take that away by handing out freebies are just as bad as stingy DMs.
IMHO, just play by the rules. Everyone can read them and make their own decisions. Only change the rules when they really break your game or they kill the enjoyment of everyone at the table. Don't play favorites which is what the freebie stuff can feel like.